EXPENSES "TAG"

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 135, 5 December 1930, Page 4

EXPENSES "TAG"

MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS

THE COST OF TRAVEL

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, 4th December. Indignation at tho small amount allowed for the expenses of delegates to the Municipal Conference and executive meetings of the Municipal Association was expressed at a special meeting of the Auckland City Council, when it was intimated that tho council's statutory accounts and statements for tho year" ended 31st March had been "tagged" by tho Auditor-General on the ground that the limit of £40 for such expenses, fixed by tho Municipal Corporations Act, had been exceeded. •The last conference was held at Invcrcargill, the council's delegates being the Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon, and Mr. T. Bloodworth. In addition the Mayor has attended two meetings of the executive of the Municipal Association in Wellington This "tag" ivas tho only one attached to the accounts. "This matter will have to be fixed up, and we will have to pay the excess," said the Mayor. "You can see how closely we are, tied down when we are allowed only £40 to attend conference and executive meetings." Mr. J. B. Paterson: "What is the amount of the excess?" The Mayor: "We will find that out." Miss E. Melville and Mr. M. J. Coyle expressed the view that the attention of the Municipal Association should be drawn to the point. "This is absurd," said Mr. Coyle. "Two delegates went to the conference and the Mayor has to attend meetings of tho executive from time to time. He would have to live in very cheap board-ing-houses to keep within the limit. I understand that we are not allowed any more than small boroughs. The Mayor: "That is so. An. alteration in the Act is required." The Mayor then moved that the bal-ance-sheet be adopted and finally settled. . ' la seconding the motion Mr. Paterson said that the Auditor-General's report should be a direct answer to all the carping criticisms the council had been subjected to during the past year. The officers of the council were entitled to congratulations on tho satisfactory statement. As far as the "tag" was concerned, the train fares to and from Invereargill alone would absorb £30. The motion was then, carried.